Smells Like Steel and Citrus
by FluffyGrunge
Summary: Re-uploaded.  While shopping at Water 7, Sanji finds something that resembles Zoro! He could use it to annoy him, but suddenly its strange powers come to take effect! ZoSan crack yaoi fic
1. Chapter 1

Hi! This is my first fanfic and I hope you'll like it! [**Revised chapters one to three,** wrote more dialogue and gave them more 'feelings', if that's how it's called. :D]

This story is set in episode **319**, which is the filler about Sanji with an old man who happens to be a famous cook because of his special salt. And Franky was still building Sunny.

Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece, Zoro and Sanji would've been gay for each other on their first day. No, make that third. :D One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda!

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It's amazing when one finds that certain things carry a resemblance to someone; sometimes it's not the uncanny resemblance itself but the idea that fate agrees with a person's sense of humor. As if a ball of moss and a mosquito coil wasn't enough…

The sun had just set when the blond teen and his younger companions returned from gathering the necessary provisions. Just as they arrived, he turned to the kitchen and excitedly unloaded his groceries from his wooden shopping cart, including the pouch that contained the special Aqua Laguna salt he had incurred. He put down a box in an unobtrusive corner and its contents slightly clinked, hinting that it might have bottles inside. Sanji was chewing on the filter of his cigarette, playing it around his chapped, pale lips while rummaging around. He barely noticed the green-haired man that was sleeping quietly, arms crossed and leaning back ungraciously on a wooden chair in the dining area which was entirely visible from the kitchen.

Zoro, with the ability to sense people or moving things up to more or less a friggin' kilometer, was awakened by the cook's ruffling and humming. "That idiot cook…" He just had to scratch the back of his head, scowling at the blond man. "What's he up to?"

It's not always true that he didn't care about the shitty cook's business; he'll never openly admit it though. This time, he's really curious as to why Sanji was in high spirits. Wait, did he see the cook smirk just now?

He lazily walked towards the bubbly cook and gave his most intelligent welcome message he could come up with: "Booze."

The said cook looked at him as if he was the dumbest person in the world. He took a short drag and exhaled upward. "Swords. Sleep. Booze. Marimo-kun," Sanji stood beside the moss head, gave him his most sarcastic smile, patted his back and continued. "The fate of the world lies on your epic uselessness! Oh we are so grateful to your sorry excuse for a brain!"

Zoro quickly unsheathed Wadou and threatened the annoying blond with its blunt edge. "You stupid ero-cook! Do you have booze there or not?"

"You shitty swordsman!" Sanji raised his right leg, preparing for a kicking stance. "I wouldn't waste the money Nami-san gives me for your booze!"

Zoro would have bashed his sword into the cook's face had he not notice an obvious bottle of liquor peering from a thick paper bag near the wash basin. "Tch. Hand it over, aho-cook!"

"Over my dead sexy body, asshole!"

And so a cloudy exchange of blows and kicks ensues…

With all the racket that's been going on, the two didn't notice their hungry captain had already entered the kitchen. "Oi Sanji! Food!"

He was ignored, but to his benefit. Luffy sneaked past the two and rummaged through the groceries, eating anything edible right away.

Peeking his head from the clouds, Sanji caught his captain consuming almost everything he needed for dinner, save the salt. "Oi Luffy! Don't eat all of our dinner, you idiot!" He would've stopped him easily if the swordsman wasn't being a handful. "Shit! Marimo! Get the hell away from me!" He forcefully jerked Zoro away but was unsuccessful. "I have to stop Luffy!"

Suddenly, a line of slender hands sprouted and snatched the grocery bags away from the captain who was still hungry.

"Robin-chwan!" The love cook danced away from the clouds, kneeled down on one bended knee in front of the raven-haired woman, gesturing a princely pose. "I thank you for saving our dinner."

Being the tallest of the Mugiwaras, she could easily lift the bags away from Luffy's reach if he darn can't stretch for more or less 72 gomu gomus*. It can't be helped so a trail of hands kept sprouting, passing the groceries from one to another like he did with Luffy back at the Davy Back skating match. She grinned at their stubborn captain who was still trying to grab the groceries. Then she turned to the love cook who was exhaling a line of heart-shaped smoke. "I would like some coffee, please."

"Hai, Robin-chwan!" Sanji bustled away to make coffee while doing his ero-wiggle-dance. He put coffee beans that was good for at least two servings in the grinder, and took a beige coffee mug with various hand-painted flowers from the cupboard. He was nimble, but gracious in his execution. He always made sure to be precise in his measurements; he knew exactly how bittersweet and creamy it should be to suit Robin's tastes.

In the brief moment that the cook wasn't around him, Zoro tippy-toed his way near the wash basin where the liquor is. _Idiot cook._ Lucky for him, Sanji was too absorbed in his measuring and was able to gulp a good amount from the bottle.

"Here you go, my lovely." He served the freshly brewed coffee to their archaeologist as how a five-star (not to say pervy) waiter would.

"Thank you." She flashed her ever-charming smile to the ero-wiggling Sanji, whose nostrils were widening with glee, and took a seat at the dining area.

The poor captain clasped his growling stomach. "Oi Sanji! Stop wiggling and make some dinner already!"

"Yes, yes." He gave a short sigh as he too tried to reach the bags. _Impatient as always, that Luffy._ The blond excitedly grabbed a big pouch from one of the grocery bags that Robin saved. "I have here a special ingredient that will make dinner like you've never tasted before!"

"Tch."

"Shut up, shithead! Oi, who told you to drink that in one go, huh?" _That's supposed to be for later!_

Zoro flashed the now empty liquor bottle to the cook's face. "Hah! I got away with it because you're an idiot!"

"Why you…" He gritted his teeth and was aiming to kick the swordsman, who also started unsheathing Yubashiri when suddenly…

"I'M HUNGRY!" The rubbery captain coiled each of his arms to Zoro and to Sanji, just in time to stop another cloudy quarrel. He placed the cook near his work area. "I want to taste this 'special dinner' you're talking about!" There were stars in his eyes and not to mention he was drooling a river. He didn't notice that Zoro had broken free from his clutches.

Sanji tossed the cigarette butt he was chewing on for quite a while in the trash bin and lit another. He took a long drag and exhaled the smoke that formed into elegant swirls. Without a word, he started laying out all the ingredients and utensils that he needed. It's clearly obvious in his expression that he's also excited about this dinner because his nakama deserve no less when it comes to food.

"You're not trying to poison the food, are you?" Though he was still annoying Sanji, he did the cook a little favor by disposing of the empty liquor bottle and putting it beside the trash bin near where the said cook was working.

"Heh, if I want to I would've done if from the start, idiot." He was absorbed in his work and did not bother to pick another fight. "By the way, I have something for you." His was trying his best to not show his evil grin, biting his lower lip.

"If it's booze I'll take it, but seeing as how you're shaking while holding your laughter…" Zoro turned to leave the kitchen but before he could get pass the door, he gave Sanji an impassive glance behind his back. "Go to hell, you lech of a cook."

"Oh it's better than booze." The said cook didn't bother to look back, since he was busy chopping some vegetables. Or maybe he was trying to hide his expression. "I took the effort to pick that especially for you…" The swordsman was almost out of the kitchen but he made sure that he could hear his last statement. _You WILL pretty damn like it, bastard._

Luffy, who figured it would take quite a while for dinner to finish, limply followed Zoro out of the kitchen.

"I also look forward to dinner…" Robin is still in the dining area, finishing her coffee. "…but what will occur after that seems quite interesting too."

"Ah Robin-chan! I have discovered a special ingredient while I was in town." He tried to change the subject and unraveled the pouch to show its contents. Sanji had a little hunch that their archaeologist knew what he was up to. "This is the salt that was gathered from the waves of Aqua Laguna. Dinner will surely be splendid, but I believe I don't get what you're trying to say."

Robin stood up and walked to the wash basin to wash her coffee mug.

"Please leave it there. I'll take care of it later." Though he was happy to insist, he was still waiting for an answer.

"I took a peek at your groceries. I hope you don't mind." Oh who would mind when she flashes her girly charm?

The blond swallowed down his throat, tensed that his hunch was right. "The town sure offers the freshest ingredients! Haha…" He inhaled a short drag and expelled it immediately. A glint of anxiety was present in his voice, and to feign innocence, he tried to digress. "W-would you like something, Robin-chan?"

Robin gave a little chuckle. "I'm sure Zoro will be pleased. The boxes of sake are for him, and 'those' are too, yes?" Satisfied that she hit the mark, she continued. "I must say, you did a good job in gathering these for him." And then she turned to leave. "Don't worry, I won't spill the surprise."

Before he could attempt to explain, the archaeologist was already gone. _Damn no!_ _What will Robin-chan think of me now? And why the hell did I buy so much for that idiot?_

His cheeks felt a little warm with tinges of pink coloring his pale complexion, but he still grinned to himself, resuming what he was doing.

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*Well, that's what Oda said in SBS (the Q&A corner in every volume) when someone asked how far can Luffy stretch. It's in volume **four, **though considering how many volumes there are right now he might go over 72! If you would like to know more about Oda-sensei and the world of One Piece, I suggest you read the SBS. He's such a funny guy! :)

See you in Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

Here comes chapter two! Have you guys already guessed what the surprise was? :D

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Ah, nothing compares to a young pirate's vigor! Such admirable tenacity! Every meal is a feast, as long as Sanji gets to prepare it. A party, as long as his nakama enjoys the food. A battlefield, as long as their captain is there.

"Taste anything different?" Nobody heard him. "It's the special Aqua Laguna salt I gathered from town!" A barrage of clanks from plates and silverware were responded to him.

As a proud man that he is, normally he'd feel insulted if he gets no compliment for his food. But seeing as how everyone was savoring this new taste, he let it pass. After all, Zoro openly asking for seconds was a huge stroke in his ego. _Hah, even that bastard likes it._

As he watched everyone fill themselves, he can't help but recall the events that had happened earlier in town. He smiled to himself, remembering the discovery he made about the salt and the reputable old man; then he secretly made a sour face when he remembered something horrible, but he lightened up again when he thought about his surprise for his darling Zoro.

He didn't know he had some money in his back pocket; with all the partying and keeping up to par with the seemingly never-ending arrival of guests, the cook lost track of how much he was spending for ingredients (or where he was keeping his money for that matter). Ridiculous as it sounds, that party left them nearly broke. Sure, the first thing that came to his mind was he needed to return the money to his precious Nami-swan but then again, if he did just that the Sea Witch might hit him hard for spending that much and charge him an interest that he can only pay if he traded their swordsman and Sogeking to the Marines.

Sanji thought it would be better to leave things as it is. After all, it's a rare luxury for the Mugiwaras (save Nami, of course) to have their OWN pocket money. He figured he could buy himself those limited edition porn magazines he always drooled about when Zoro was being crabby.

Since he was politely rejected by his two boobacious crewmates to a date, Sanji had no choice but to go shopping for provisions with Chimney and Gonbe. The kids were running about and glaring at any interesting thing they saw. Well, anything looked interesting to these kids anyway. The cat-who-pretty-darn-looks-like-a-rabbit's nose twitched when they neared a store that gives off a pleasant and rather feminine scent. At least that's how it seemed to humans. They led the cook pulling their cart to the said store.

"Smells like ladies!" His nostrils widened, puffing a line of heart-shaped smoke.

"Cook-niichan," Chimney tugged Puffing Sanji's sleeve. "Let's go in! In!" Heck, it doesn't take much for the girl to convince him whenever ladies are involved.

The pig-tailed girl had already went in and ogled on the products in the first isle. What exactly does this shop sell for it to have such an alluring scent?

He was still standing a few strides from the shop door, but since it was left open by Chimney, he was able to observe what's inside. From there, he could see three female shoppers whose backs ware facing the door, and a nearly bald, chubby male shopkeeper who was happily entertaining Chimney. The first lady had red hair curled in voluminous waves. The second had a long, waist-length black hair with a few silver strands. The third had her auburn hair in a braid falling just beneath her shoulders. They were comparing the products they each held and gave silent giggles while engaging in a hearty banter. For the first time this day, he didn't feel disappointed for not being able to take Nami and Robin for a date._ Three for the price of two!_ Oh how his heart fluttered! Though it wasn't intentional and even out of reflex, perhaps, he made a manly squeal that caught the ladies' attention. The ladies slowly turned to look at him, then he made an ero-wiggle dash to attack them with his flirtatious (though zero percent success rate so far) pick-up lines.

"Mellorine! Here I come, my beauties! Let me be your knigh-aaaaAAAaa!" Sanji dropped his cigarette, his heart missing a few beats. "T-t-there're three…"

"Oi little girl, is that flabbergasted man your friend?" The shopkeeper pointed to the writhing cook. "And did his soul come out of his mouth just now?" He just had to whisper that in disbelief.

Chimney's mouth also hung open from shock; she didn't hear what the man had said.

…

"K-K-K-KOKORO-BAASAN?" Both Sanji and Chimney couldn't believe their eyes! The three ladies look EXACTLY like her!

"Heehee, young'uns these days. They all go for the 'mature' types!" The black-haired Kokoro look-alike flicked her eyelashes to the depressed cook.

"Brighten up a little, honey." The curly red Kokoro petted his thin, little beard; good thing for her the blond was so shocked that he didn't offer any struggle. "Aren't you a cutie, teehee!"

The braided auburn Kokoro offered to help Sanji straighten up. She gently lifted his right arm, almost tracing his tender muscles under the cottony fabric.

The contact pulled him back from the bliss of a mental shutdown, err, to his senses. "Ah! W-where are my manners…" In all honesty, he wanted to bolt away from the place that instant but being the gentleman that he is, he couldn't just leave in the middle of a conversation with a lady no matter how they looked. "I was just a little surprised that you ladies resemble someone I know." _You gotta be kiddin' me, that was the biggest surprise of my life!_

"Don't worry honey, we get that all the time." The red Kokoro placed her left index finger on her chin gesturing in a cute, thinking manner. (Well, she thought it was cute…) "I do sometimes get curious about who's this other beauty who looks like us…she seems pretty popular, teehee!"

If spine tingles can produce physical sound, Sanji's would've resonated up to Scrap Island.

"Gasp!" The auburn Kokoro's eyes glimmered with excitement. "Aren't you one of those brave pirates who saved Iceburg-san and challenged the World Government?"

"And you're also the one who cooked for that big party, eh?" The black Kokoro licked her lips like she still remembered how the food tasted.

He took a bow to flash his self-acknowledged handsomeness to the impressed ladies. "Oui, Mesdames." Those compliments made him get over from the shock, because if it didn't he'd have to smoke five sticks at once. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves during the feast."

"Oh yes we did, young lad! The food was great…" Her long black hair swayed when she clasped her hands and slightly raised her right foot backwards. "But we were so thrilled when we saw Franky-kun!"

_Huh? We have here Kokoro-baasan triplets who happen to be fans of that Franky…could anything get weirder than this?_"That's uhh, great!" He scratched his head for lack of anything better to say.

"So what brings you here?" The other lady flipped her red locks to flaunt its bounciness. The fact that sparkles appeared from the gesture was a mystery… "Are you looking for bath supplies?"

"Bath supplies?" His only visible swirly eyebrow raised in question.

He did vaguely remember seeing a few stuff from outside but he never thought that those were toiletries. The display window showcased interestingly shaped bottles which contained colorful liquids. One shaped like that of a ship with its cat-like figurehead being the cap and the other shaped like Califa in her kicking stance (the storeowner will pull it back though after Mayor Iceburg finds another secretary, and for some reason you still can't see her panties because her foot is blocking the 'view'). Oh, and in ornamented display cases, there were also soaps sculpted like flowers that rival the cook's fruit carving skills.

_Wait, I saw that from outside and then- _He quickly glanced back, which startled the ladies. He forgot about their shopping cart!

"Excuse me for a bit, ladies!" He rushed outside and he saw Gonbe guarding the cart, much to his relief. "Thank goodness you're there! But don't you want to go inside with Chimney?"

The animal made a sour face and shook his head rapidly, as if he was offered something…loathsome.

"Well, if that's okay with you." Sanji grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his side pocket and lit a stick. "We won't take long. Please look after our bags for a few more minutes, 'kay?"

"Nyaa!" He nodded with joy with his long ears flapping. Gonbe could breathe with ease for not having to put up with that store.

He went inside again once more, since toiletries are also a necessity for them. _Ahh, I wonder if I can find something for Nami-swan and Robin-chwan!_And again, he puffed heart-shaped smoke at the thought of his two darling crewmates. He passed the door when he saw Chimney peeping from the rack on the last row, gesturing him to come and take a look at the products.

He just noticed that every merchandise was sectioned by color or theme. The Kokoro triplets did not notice him pass by, since they went back to their earlier discussion.

"Cook-niichan, I saw swordsman-niichan's head on the rack!"

His visible eye squinted. _Did he follow me all the way here? Or was it just that he was so stupid that he got lost again?_ "Huh? The marimo's here?"

"Yup! Lots of them!" The little girl grabbed his hand to lead him to the said swordsman head.

Sanji's mouth hung open, almost dropping the cigarette he was biting. "Pfft…" The cook coughed out some of his smoke. "Chimney, hahaha! This made my day!"

As she assured, there was a marimo the size of Zoro's head! Upon closer inspection, it was actually a spherical bottle covered in some soft green material to make it look like a ball of moss. Other interesting products are in juxtaposition with it: a green loofa sponge, a green shower cap, a smaller ball of marimo (another bottle of some liquid), a round green soap with a cute smiley engraved on it, and a rubber duckie with a green afro. It's a Marimo Bath Set!

Pleased that he could annoy the hell out of the swordsman with these, he immediately brought the set to the counter. _It's cute...sort of._ He at least remembered to get something for the girls: one rose-carved soap each.

He paid for the items with his extra cash, thanked the ladies for the chat (though he'll never mention this to anyone, EVER), and finally loaded his purchase in the cart.

"Niichan, I'm hungry. Let's go eat! Eat!" The pig-tailed girl once again tugged his sleeve. She grabbed the paw of her pet, but it wouldn't come closer to the cart anymore.

They made their way to this restaurant that Chimney suggested. As they left, Sanji didn't notice the three ladies chuckling like raging high schoolers, seemingly knowing what he doesn't.

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Kokoro triplets FTW! I forgot to mention in Chapter One that reviews are very much encouraged, since this is my first and I'd love to know how you find this fic so far. Thanks in advance!

Season's Greetings from an army of marimos! See you in Chapter Three!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi! I'm back again with Chapter Three…sorry to keep you waiting. I've been thinking of other ideas for a new fanfic so this one got delayed. I'm really new to this and I screwed up the editing and deleted this story so I had to re-upload it and gaah! If I get to be reborn I want to be a sea cucumber…

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The onslaught they called dinner was finally over. The dining table looked as if a violent storm had passed by; the plates were scattered everywhere and there were no traces of leftovers. But like any other storms, the aftermath is also as awful.

"Oi, someone help me with the washing." The cook rolled up his sleeve and collected the used plates and silverware. "Aren't there more plates than before?" _And to think Usopp isn't even here…_

Robin offered to help, since she has so many hands to spare (literally) the job would get done faster.

"Thank you Robin-chan, but a lady's hand must not be bothered to do dreadful housework." That surely was a polite excuse to avoid being pressed about his 'surprise'.

Now that he made that excuse, he couldn't possibly ask Nami. Well, not that he would, anyway. Zoro was already asleep on the couch. _That useless lout!_ Luffy, well, he was really bloated, much like a stuffed gomu gomu no fuusen. _No good…if I force Luffy to help me, he'll get hungry again and demand more food!_ That only leaves their furry little doctor Chopper. _I hope he's not shedding his fur this time, or else it'll stick to the plates!_

The young reindeer could plainly read what the cook was thinking from his facial expression; he had no choice but to volunteer. "I guess I'll help you, Sanji." Chopper transformed into his gorilla-like human form, obviously so that he could be able to reach the basin and carry stacks of plates.

Sanji took a quick drag-and-blow from his cigarette. "Thanks, Chopper. Those guys are really useless. Prepare yourself, we have a mountain of plates to wash!" He grabbed his pink Doskoi Panda apron from one of the kitchen drawers and put it on; he also gave Chopper a spare white apron.

Chopper followed Sanji to the wash basin and started washing the plates which were sterilized and soaked in hot water. "I remember when Usopp told me a story about him beating a bubble man when we were washing plates." Though he had a brutish form, he can't hold back his tears and for some reason, he can't stop shaking.

"Ch-Chopper…!" Concerned for his younger nakama, he wiped his tears with a clean and unused wash cloth but the doctor won't stop sobbing. Sanji patted Chopper's thick, broad back, hoping it would somehow calm him down. "Chopper, I'm sure Usopp will think this through so stop crying and be a man-"

"I'm not crying because of that…" He turned to his left and to his right, looking for the source of his unease. "There's something here that nngh, g-gives me an intense headache." Chopper has a super sensitive sense of smell which was proven to be very useful on most occasions (i.e. he can trace the smell of his nakama). This time, it was causing him a good deal of trouble. His sinuses felt like it was being impaled by a sharp object, and his eyes were slightly becoming red, too. "Sanji, that smell is coming from those bags…" He pointed to the groceries, his finger shaking.

He didn't bother to ask any questions seeing Chopper in his miserable state. He scoured the contents of the bag; he can't figure out what's causing the reindeer to squirm seeing that everything in the bag was utterly harmless. _Wait…reindeer?_

"Oi shitty cook, what're you up to?" Zoro, who was awakened by Chopper's sobbing, gave a lazy yawn and approached the two. "You annoy the hell out of me and now you're bullying Chopper?"

"Ugh. Great, shitty swordsman." He just had to place his hands on his forehead in disappointment. "I was trying to figure out what's causing Chopper so much pain, and you had to interrupt!" Sanji took another drag and exhaled the smoke through his nose. "Besides, if there's supposed to be a bully here, it's you! You goddamned killjo-"

"Are you alright, Chopper?" Zoro assisted the poor doctor to lean back on the basin.

"Oi, I'm still talking to you!" _And_ _don't ignore me!_

"Nngh…" Chopper went back to his normal form, feeling woozy and unable to hold that massive body. "I don't think I can continue washing the dishes."

"You go rest. I'll help the dart-brow."

The little reindeer managed to smile, relieved that he could finally get away from the smell. "Thank you, Zoro." He limply walked towards Sanji and bowed his head. "I'm sorry if I wasn't able to help."

"No, it's okay. I promise I'll find what caused your headache and get rid of it as soon as possible." He gave Chopper an assuring look, hoping it would cheer him up. "You take care now."

"Thanks, I will." And so he went to his room. As he got farther from the kitchen, his steps seemed to get a little steadier.

"Good going, idiot cook. What the hell is in there, anyway?" Zoro crossed his arms and leaned on the basin.

"I did try searching for the cause, but everything in those bags are harmless." The confused cook didn't notice that his hands were diving into the hot water. "Yeowch!" His reflex from the slight burn made him withdrew his hands; he turned on the faucet for cold water and placed his hands under the running tap to soothe the burn. The cold mixed with hot water, and figuring that he could tolerate the temperature, Sanji started washing the remaining plates, . "Oi, aren't you going to help me wash?"

"Booze."

"Is that all you think about?" If those plates weren't submerged in water, he might have broken it all.

Zoro looked away and took a deep breath, not wanting his enthusiasm to be appraised. "So what do you have for me?"

They both exchanged expressionless stares for a moment until the cook burst in laughter, unable to hold it in anymore.

"What's so funny, asshole?" Zoro squinted his eyes on Sanji who was smirking at him like a maniac.

"You know…" Sanji rinsed his hands and wiped it with the wash cloth that Chopper had used. "There were times like this when I'm alone washing the dishes." He threw the previous cigarette he was smoking and lit another. "I'd let the others take a bath first so that I'll be the last."

"Get to the point already." Zoro was trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

"Don't butt in when people are talking, idiot marimo." The blond wasn't really annoyed; he's just as excited as Zoro was. "Anyway, whenever I'm the last to get in, I can take a longer bath since no one's waiting behind me. I'd pour myself some wine and drink while enjoying a warm bubble bath."

The green-haired man just stared at Sanji, who was puffing swirls of smoke; the cloudiness helped him create a mental image of the blond offering him a glass of red wine with his private parts being covered by obstructive soapsuds and coquetting, "Come drink with me, Zoro." If that would really happen, Zoro might have dived at him right away.

Sanji didn't get to see the shade of pink that appeared on the swordsman's naturally tan cheeks when he went to open the box that was lying in a corner. "I got you a dozen bottles of sake, so I thought you might like to try it out. You know, bathe while drinking…"

"I didn't know you were this thoughtful…I mean, except for the ladies." He looked away, trying to hide his cheeks which were getting redder and warmer. "And why do you even bother…"

"Don't compare me to yourself, marimo. I'm always thoughtful." He hummed to himself while getting a bottle from the box and tossed it over to Zoro. "But that's not all…" That smirk appeared on his face again, remembering his little gifts that would add up to the marimo's 'vegetation'. "Now help me finish washing so I can prepare your bath."

Zoro removed the cork with his teeth, spewed it to the direction of the trash bin and took a quick gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand and held the bottle forward with the other. "Want some?" That drink was a subtle 'thank you' that he could offer to the cook, since he was already too embarrassed to say it outright.

"No. That would be an indirect kiss. And unlike an uncivilized person that you are, I don't drink from bottles."

"Damn, so demanding…" His voice was low, in a sexy kind of way. Zoro took another sip from the bottle, but this time he didn't swallow. He placed the bottle beside the basin, then both of his hands grabbed Sanji's waist, yanking him to come closer.

The blond removed his cigarette from his lips and held it instead; he wrapped his arms around the other's neck and leaned forward. He tilted his head a bit sideways and knowing that it was the right angle, he pressed his lips onto Zoro's. Sanji opened his mouth to receive the liquor that has warmed from the other's mouth and swished it around their tongues, savoring its bittersweet tang while the peppery spirit exited through his nose. It tasted so much better, and the sensations from his nape being caressed by Zoro all make it very sensual.

Sanji gradually swallowed the sake while their tongues battled.

After a few minutes, their lips parted so that both of them could gasp for air but their bodies were still pressed together, feeling each other's warmth.

Zoro pressed his forehead on Sanji's. "You're good at this…" His right thumb stroked the cook's wet lips. "You didn't even spill."

"Of course I won't. I don't waste food, you know." Just when his partner was about to lean for another kiss, he shrugged him away. "Woah…down, boy."

Zoro was surprised, but didn't say a word. He crossed his muscular arms and raised an arched eyebrow, demanding an explanation.

"Help me with the damn dishes already, idiot!" _So that you can meet your siblings already! _He put back his cigarette between his lips and puffed the smoke to the swordsman's direction so that he would back away.

He fanned the smoke away, though he was pretty much used to it. "You stupid love cook! You flirted with me and then you'll just ruin the mood!"

"Just get to work, useless marimo!" Once again, Sanji soaked his hands into the basin and started washing the plates. His hair was covering the bright color on his flushed cheeks from Zoro's view.

He was really excited to know what his partner's 'other surprise' was so he thought he should keep quiet and finish washing already. Zoro's hands worked at an amazing speed, to the extent that he would have been mistaken as a member of CP9.

Little do they know that BOTH of them are in it for the surprise…

* * *

The aroma of wine heightens slightly when it gets warmed. So if you're not holding a wine glass from its stem but rather on its body, your body warmth can affect the aroma. Also, when you sip the wine and gargle it a bit (not like how you would do with a mouthwash, just let it swish around in your mouth) before swallowing, it tastes better. Well, that's what I heard when I was in a seminar. (I hope I remembered it right!) I just don't know if it's the same for sake...

See you in Chapter Four!


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